Derrick scaffold structure



W. G. HEAPHY ETAL 3,302,749 DERRICK SCAFFOLD STRUCTURE Feb. 7, 1967 2Sheets-$heet 1 Filed May 10, 1965 INVENTORS lg/f m G. HEM/1m Feb 7,196'? w. cs. HEAPHY ETAL 3,302,749

DERRICK SCAFFOLD STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 10, 1965 AHA/VINVENTORJ G HEAPHW United States Patent 3,302,749 DERRICK SCAFFOLDSTRUCTURE William G. Heaphy, 24 Powder Horn Hill, Wilton, Conn. 06897,and Bruce McLanahan, 850 Park Ave, New York, N.Y. 10016 Filed May 10,1965, Ser. No. 454,579 8 Claims. (Cl. 182-82) This invention relates toscaffolding means and in particular to one used in building constructionto support a derrick or hoist.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a scaffold structurethat can be supported from the floors of a building under constructionso that a derrick can be raised in stages to do away with the necessityof having a ground supported derrick with a long cumbersome boom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a scaffold structurethat can be erected in sections corresponding to the distance betweenfloors and which can be made up or assembled by workmen operating fromsaid floors.

In the pouring of concrete floors in buildings under construction, thepractice has been to hoist the concrete bucket from the ground to eachsuccessive floor with an increasing strain on the hoist cables anddiminishing maneuverability of the derrick boom in swinging the bucketin over the floor to be poured. In very high buildings this had resultedin the buckling of the boom 0r severance of the cables with disastrousresults. Where the derrick is mounted on the steel work of a floor andhas to be raised as the steel work rises, delays in pouring the floorshas resulted thereby adding to the cost of the structure.

Further objects of the invention therefore are: to provide sectionalstages that can be built up by a minimum number of workmen to raise thederrick a selected number of floors at a time; to provide a scaffoldstructure the parts of which can be readily assembled to provide asturdy structure; to provide cantilever means at each floor of simpleform for supporting each scaffold section so that the weight of thescaffold is largely supported on the floors of the building and theentire scaffold is braced at each floor for rigid support of thederrick; and to provide a scaffold in which the derrick can be raised atintervals as required, with a minimum amount of labor, fixtures,adjustments and time.

The closest art of which the applicants are aware are Patents 2,423,167,2,582,528 and 2,830,853. Patent 2,423,167 shows a scaffold mounted on asupporting frame carried on a vehicle. Patent 2,582,528 shows a framemounted on the legs of an oil well derrick and a platform. Patent2,830,853 shows staging platforms with supporting frame structure. Noneof these patents show a scaffold made in units built up and assembledfloor by floor in building construction for support by each floor forgradually raising a derrick to obviate the necessity of using a long orhigh boom.

With the foregoing objects in view, the invention comprises certainconstructions hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out inthe claims and a preferred embodiment of our invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of a scaffold on which a hoistingderrick is supported, parts being shown "ice diagrammatically toillustrate the progressive formation of the scaffold structure,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side view of one of the sections or stages ofthe scaffold showing assembly of the parts and the mounting means forthe derrick,

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1 showing aworking platform in relation to other parts of the structure,

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG- URE 1 showing asection of the scaffold and one of the means for supporting the same,

FIGURE 5 is a view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 1 showing one of thesupporting means for the scaffold section or stage,

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged section taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1showing one jack means of a pair used for adjusting the cantilever meansthat supports a stage of the scaffold,

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic view in perspective show ing the relativearrangement of the posts or pipes, guy wires, cross bars and struts thatmake up the structure of the scaffolding means, and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary detail showing how the flooring is mounted inthe scaffold sections.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 indicates a partly constructedbuilding having concrete floors 11 poured in the usual manner from abucket 12 on one end of a cable 13 passing from the cab of a derrick 14and over a swing-' ing boom 15. The cab is provided with a bottomflooring 16 which is secured to the upper unit 17 of a hydraulic orcompressed air lift means 18 including a cylinder 19, piston 21), footplate 21 and a source of pressure 20A controlled in any suitable mannerfor raising and lowering the derrick. The latter is mounted successivelyon every second or third staging unit 22 of a scaffold 23 so that theboom can swing in over successive floors to be poured without placingthe boom under excessive stress, as would be the case if the derrick wason the ground and the bucket 12 of concrete had be lifted successivelyhigher as each floor was poured.

Each unit 22 of the scaffold 23 is built as the successive floors arepoured and the derrick 14 is elevated as the units are assembled. Eachunit consists of four corner posts or pipes 24 of suitable verticallength, corresponding to the front opening of the floor, verticallyconnected and aligned by connector and guide pins 25 each having acentral separator hub 26, projecting upper and lower stud extensions 27,and tapered ends 28 (FIGURE 2). At opposite sides of the units, thepipes 24 are connected by diagonally disposed cross braces 29 secured atthe ends thereof to suitable brackets 30 bolted, welded or otherwisesecured to the pipes 24.

The progressive build up of the scaffold is best illustrated byreference to FIGURE 1 where the lowermost unit 22 shown, is any one inthe erection of the scaffold, and shows the use of angle strip members31 connecting the pipes 24 through brackets 24A and providing supportsfor flooring 32 for supporting the mechanics that are assembling theunit and for subsequently supporting the foot plate 21 of the lift means18. The foot plate 21 has secured to the upper surface thereof trunnionbrackets 33 in which are pivoted steadying arms 34- which may be twistedat their free ends or cut off plain or may have saddle end means 35 forengaging the pipes 24 to prevent excessive swaying of the derrick andcab. These arms 34, being pivoted, can be swnug back out of the way whenthe derrick unit is to be elevated.

The cab of the derrick contains the usual cable drum and engine or motoras well as the usual cable and boom controls all of which are well knownand need not be illustrated. The cab also has at each of the fourcorners of its floor 16 suitable openings through which can be loweredguide pins 36 the upper ends of which may be secured by chains to theinterior walls of the cab so that when dropped through the holes theywill depend below the bottom of the cab to fit into the upper ends ofthe pipes 24. This is shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 1 to indicate thepositioning of the cab on the upper ends of the pipes of a subsequentlyplaced unit 22. These pins prevent sway of the cab and also resist theturning force that would occur as the result of swinging of the boom.

In addition to the flooring 32 which is laid by the workman on the anglemembers 31 there is provided a working platform 37 which is secured tobrackets 33 attached to the outer surface of the cylinder 19. When fourposts or pipes 24 are put in position atop the next adjacent loweststage unit 24, sufficient flooring is laid to let the workman raise thecylinder 19, after the internal pressure is relieved, and rest the footplate 21 on added or completed flooring. This has been done as shown inFIGURE 1 and pressure has elevated the derrick 14 when the posts 24 ofthe uppermost stage have been fitted to the posts or pipes 24- of thenext lowest stage 22 by the guide pins 36 and connector pins 25. Theplacing of the derrick is controlled by operation of the lift means 18with suitable control valves or other means not shown. When the posts orpipes are first positioned they are connected by clarnp brackets 39 toupper and lower cross bars 40 and 41, respectively.

As seen in FIGURE 5, the cross bar 4%) has pivotally secured to each ofthe opposite ends thereof the ends of pivotally connected cross struts42 which are disposed obliquely downward to be secured at their lowerends to the upper projecting ends of U-shaped bolts 43 that are embeddedin the concrete floor when the latter was poured. This forms an uppercantilever structure or frame 44 which coacts with a similar lowercantilever structure or frame 45 (FIGURE 4) which consists ofcross-struts 45 each pivotally secured at one end to the opposite endsof the lower cross bar 41. These struts 46 and the struts 42, where theyjoin the cross bars 4t? and 41 are connected by bracing rods 47 (FIGURE7) arranged in crossing relation.

The struts 46 are pivoted at their point of crossing as are struts 42and extend downward obliquely to be secured at their lower ends to theupper projecting ends of the U-shaped bolts 43. These lower struts asconstitute the lower cantilever frame 45 while the upper struts 42constitute the upper cantilever frame 4-4 for the purpose of suspendingeach staging unit 22 individually so that, as the scaffold is graduallybuilt up, the weight thereof is distributed on the floors of thebuilding. The strut frames 42 and 46 are vertically adjustable at theends thereof that hold the unit 22 by jacks 48 disposed beneath theouter ends of the lower cross bar 41. These jacks function to take upany slack in the connections of the cantilever frames and to adjust theheight and position of each stage, closely.

The novelty of the invention resides in the use of cantilever framesanchored to the floor of the building for supporting each section of thescaffold so that good solid support will be given to the derrick whichhoists a heavy load of cement from the ground. The structure isparticularly adapted to high buildings and saves wear and tear on thederrick while allowing complete maneuverability of the bucket or theload being lifted thereby. The use of a concrete carrying bucket is usedas an illustration, it being understood that the scaffold structure andderrick combination may have a variety of uses. The cantilever 4 meanslikewise might be secured to any flooring or steel work of the buildingand not necessarily to the U-bolts shown and the scaffold may be usedfor the erection of a hod hoist.

Our invention is not to be restricted to the precise details ofconstruction shown since various changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificingthe advantages to be derived from its use.

What we claim is:

I. A supporting structure for a derrick comprising staging units eachincluding corner posts, means for connecting the posts to provide arectangular open frame section, means connecting said posts forsupporting removable flooring means, one of said frame sections at itsupper end being adapted to mount the cab of a derrick, guide pinsdetachably connecting the cab to the frame section, a power operatedlift unit depending from the cab including a movable foot platesupported on the flooring means for raising and lowering the cab, meansassociated with said lift unit for steadying engagement with said cornerposts, and means for suspending each of said units outside a buildingand from one of the floors of the latter.

2. A supporting means for a derrick comprising staging units eachincluding corner posts having hollow ends, cross-braces for connectingthe posts at their upper and lower ends to provide rectangular,vertically disposed open frame sections, floor supporting meansconnecting said corner posts, removable floor means for mounting the cabof a derrick on the upper end of the upper-most frame section, derrickmoving means supported on a frame section for raising and lowering thederrick including a working platform movable successively through saidunits as the derrick is moved, a bottom foot plate for supporting themoving means on said removable floor means, upper and lower cantilevermeans including upper and lower crossbraces for suspending each of theframe sections from the adjacent floor of a building under constructionmeans for adjusting said cantilever means to provide for rigid supportof said frame section by said cantilever means, and retractablesteadying arms on said plate for engaging said posts to guard againstshift of said bottom plate.

3. A supporting means for a derrick as set forth in claim 2 in whichsaid means for connecting the posts consists of connector pins havingstud portions for engaging the hollow ends of said posts and separatorhub portions on said pins for spacing said posts vertically.

4. A supporting means for a derrick as set forth in claim 2 in whichsaid means for mounting the cab of the derrick on the upper-most end ofthe uppermost frame section includes guide pins extending through thefloor of the cab for detachable engagement in the open ends of thecorner posts.

5. A supporting means for a derrick as set forth in claim 2 in whichsaid power means includes a cylinder supported on said foot plate towhich fluid is supplied and piston means depending from said cab meansand disposed in said cylinder.

6. A supporting structure for a derrick as set forth in claim l in whichmeans for steadying engagement includes radially extending arms pivotedto said foot plate for engagement at their outer free ends with saidposts, and said arms being retractable when the foot plate is to bemoved.

7. A supporting means for a derrick as set forth in claim 2 in whichsaid section suspending means includes upper and lower sets of crossstruts constituting a cantilever means, means for connecting the upperset of struts to the upper ends of adjacent posts, means for connectingthe lower set of struts to the lower ends of the same adjacent posts,and means for securing the sets of cross struts or cantilever means tosaid floor of the building.

8. A derrick scaffold structure comprising staging units adapted to beassembled in vertical floor by floor relation alongside the outside of abuilding under construction, each of said units comprising corner postmeans, floor;

supporting means connecting said post means, cross-braces joining saidposts, said floor supporting means and crossbraces leaving a rectangularopen space within each unit, removable floor means providing a bottom ineach unit, derrick moving means supported on said removable floor means,said derrick moving means including a working platform movablesuccessively through said units as the derrick is moved, a bottom platefor supporting the moving means on said removable floor means, andretractable steadying arms on said plate for engaging said posts toguard against shift of said bottom foot plate, cantilever means forsuspending each unit from an adjacent floor, and means for adjustingsaid cantilever means to provide rigid support for each unit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,203,113 6/1940Decker 182 129 2,857,026 10/1958 Jones 52 123 3,082,843 3/1963 Leonard182178 3,084,761 4/1963 Robertson 182178 3,221,838 12/1965 'Brayton182--178 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,180,757 1/1959 France. Ad. 76,269 8/1961France.

182,166 1/1963 Sweden.

REINALDO P. MACI-IADO, Primary Examiner.

1. A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR A DERRICK COMPRISING STAGING UNITS EACHINCLUDING CORNER POSTS, MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE POSTS TO PROVIDE ARECTANGULAR OPEN FRAME SECTION, MEANS CONNECTING SAID POSTS FORSUPPORTING REMOVABLE FLOORING MEANS, ONE OF SAID FRAME SECTIONS AT ITSUPPER END BEING ADAPTED TO MOUNT THE CAB OF A DERRICK, GUIDE PINSDETACHABLY CONNECTING THE CAB TO THE FRAME SECTION, A POWER OPERATEDLIFT UNIT DEPENDING FROM THE CAB INCLUDING A MOVABLE FOOT PLATESUPPORTED ON THE FLOORING MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE CAB, MEANSASSOCIATED WITH SAID LIFT UNIT FOR STEADYING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CORNERPOSTS, AND MEANS FOR SUSPENDING EACH OF SAID UNITS OUTSIDE A BUILDINGAND FROM ONE OF THE FLOORS OF THE LATTER.